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Author Topic: How to make ABC  (Read 3276 times)

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Offline Achazia

  • Songsmith of Xibalba
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How to make ABC
« on: 29 July, 2009, 09:46:07 am »
MADE BY ACHAZIA

The first thing you need to do is to choose a Midifile. (start with something really simple for example only one instrument, so you get comfortable with the programs, and the code, or else it could take away your motivitation really fast )
I am making my own midifiles via my keyboard in Reason. But ofc, you can find many midifiles around the internet and use them.

So how do you make ABC-files from this Midifile?
Is many ways to make ABC, but I am explaining how I am doing it.
I use a program called Melody Assistant (unfortunally is not freeware. I think it costs 20 euro, but it does everything you need. I have also tried to find some freeware program, but either it didn't work on my PC, or I didn't understand what do do at all). The program is able to convert the midifile into abc files. Melody Assistant splits up the different sequences/instrument parts from a Midi file. And you can save the different parts as Abc files (lute.abc, harp.abc etc..) And after making ABC, you can import the different Abc parts into Melody Assistant again, and listen to the whole song, to make sure that the files are synced, and ofc make the changes that are needed. (transpose the song, change tempo etc)
I think Melody Assistant is quite user friendly, so you will understand how to export the midiparts to abcfiles I guess (but that is the easy part).


If you are lucky the abc file will work into Lotro immediatly. But very often it doesn't.
You may receive for example this error messages saying: Note is already sounding line 20, column:123, note is to low. etc..Lotro musicsystem are limited, regarding octaves/lenght of tones etc. So I often fix the tones in Reason (or another midiprogram, that probably are for free): or you could use melody assistant to transpose the song for you. It might help to change tempo a bit too, if you get the error messages:note already sounding, note duration too short.

Open the ABC file (in notebad) and clean up the code, just look at how others have done it (remove unecessary code, like %%, it could disturb Lotro as well, you might have an erromessage: saying: Unexpected token)

Lotro does give you errormessages that gives you some kind of indication on what's wrong with the Abc file. And it probably excist a debugger program, that can show you exactly where the error is, but I'm not using that. I just guess.

It is an advantage that you can read/understand scores/notes, but is not necessary, if you use some logical thinking. But it could be useful to read some guides, how the ABC file is builded.

So I am switching a lot between Lotro, Reason, Melody Assistant to make the
ABC files correct. (sometimes it takes hours, to make the files correctly, so it is a timekiller really, and I guess you have to find a way that works for you, because unfortunally is not recipie that you can follow from A-Z, to make it correctly at once)

The files (for example: Davyharp.abc, Davylute.abc etc) need to be saved in the folder My Document -> lord of the rings online -> Music (create a music folder if you don't have it)
If the files work, be sure that the band is in a fellowship group and in musicmode (every member need to have their spesific instrument part). And everybody needs to type '/play Davy(instr) sync' in the chat window. And when you see everyone is ready (You get a message of it in the chat window). Then you are ready to type: '/playstart' in the chatwindow.. And then you see what happens

But this is the way I am doing it, but I am sure there is other ways to do it, that might be much more easier and there is probably programs that are for free. (But this works good for me though)
It's seems very difficult, but it's really not, you only need to get used to it, and after a while you will find a way that will works good for you.

I am not so good to explain, but I hope some of it was understandable/helpful.

I am making my own songs for my band "The Shades", and it is really fun to making the songs, and of course playing them in Lotro

Messy code
-----------------------------------------------------------
X:1 %Music (delete % and everything after %)
T:Transport %Tune name (delete)
C: %Tune composer(delete)
N: %Tune infos(delete)
Q:1/4=85 %Tempo(delete)
V:1 %(delete)
%!STAVE 0 'Piano 1' @(delete)
%!INSTR '...' 0 0 @(delete)
M:4/4 %Meter(delete)
L:1/8 %(delete)
K:A
z8 |z8 |[B2B,2F2] F2 [=G2c2] [B2B,2d2] |F2 [c2e2] [f2d2B,2] F2 |[fa][=ge] [B,2d2f2] F4 |[d2B,2f2] F2 [=g2e2] [A,2e2a2] |E2 b=g [B,2f4d2] F2 |[c2e2] [d2B,2f2] F4 |[E2e2=g2] [zB4] [gb] [f2a2] [B,2d2f2] |
F2 [B2d2] [C2c2e2] [zE2] [e=g] |[_B,2d2f2] [=B,2=B2d2] F4 |[A,2c2] C2 [A2c2] [A,2F2c2] |C2 c2 [B,2F2B2] D2- |D2 [B,2F4B4] D4 |[B,2F2B2] F2 [=G2c2] [B,2B2d2] |F2 [c2e2] [B,2d2f2] F2 |[fa][e=g] [B,2d2f2] F4 |
[B,2d2f2] F2 [e2=g2] [a2A,2e2] |E2 b=g [B,2d2f4] F2 |[c2e2] [B,2d2f2] F4 |[E2e2=g2] [zB4] [gb] [f2a2] [B,2d2f2] |F2 [B2d2] [C2c2e2] [zE2] [e=g] |[_B,2d2f2] [=B,2=B2d2] F4 |[A,2c2] C2 [A2c2] [A,2F2c2] |
C2 c2 [B,2F2B2] D2- |D2 [B,2F2B2] D4 |]
%%End of file (delete)

Clean code
---------------------------------------------------------------
X:1
T: Davy Jones theme. Instr:Harp (part that is visible in chat window, Tip:It's good to see the instrument, because then you are able to see that members are picking the right file.)
C:Pirates of the Carribean Soundtrack
N:Harp/Lute: Mod.by Achazia
Q:1/4=85 (You could change tempo manually)
V:1
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:A
z8 |z8 |[B2B,2F2] F2 [=G2c2] [B2B,2d2] |F2 [c2e2] [f2d2B,2] F2 |[fa][=ge] [B,2d2f2] F4 |[d2B,2f2] F2 [=g2e2] [A,2e2a2] |E2 b=g [B,2f4d2] F2 |[c2e2] [d2B,2f2] F4 |[E2e2=g2] [zB4] [gb] [f2a2] [B,2d2f2] |
F2 [B2d2] [C2c2e2] [zE2] [e=g] |[_B,2d2f2] [=B,2=B2d2] F4 |[A,2c2] C2 [A2c2] [A,2F2c2] |C2 c2 [B,2F2B2] D2- |D2 [B,2F4B4] D4 |[B,2F2B2] F2 [=G2c2] [B,2B2d2] |F2 [c2e2] [B,2d2f2] F2 |[fa][e=g] [B,2d2f2] F4 |
[B,2d2f2] F2 [e2=g2] [a2A,2e2] |E2 b=g [B,2d2f4] F2 |[c2e2] [B,2d2f2] F4 |[E2e2=g2] [zB4] [gb] [f2a2] [B,2d2f2] |F2 [B2d2] [C2c2e2] [zE2] [e=g] |[_B,2d2f2] [=B,2=B2d2] F4 |[A,2c2] C2 [A2c2] [A,2F2c2] |
C2 c2 [B,2F2B2] D2- |D2 [B,2F2B2] D4 |]
« Last Edit: 29 July, 2009, 09:55:43 am by Achazia »

Playing both LOTRO and TSW at the moment.